


Weekend at Piedmont

by congressmanmabel



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Babysitting, Family Fluff, Grunkle4Grandpa, Humor, Little Dip-Dop and Little Mabes, M/M, Mystery Trio, Sweet, fiddlestan, three middle-aged monster hunters watching over smol cuties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-23 17:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4886035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/congressmanmabel/pseuds/congressmanmabel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr. and Mrs. Pines are gone for the weekend, so it's up to Stanley, Stanford and Fiddleford to take care of three-year-olds Dipper and Mabel. Family Fluff/Mystery Trio AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A fluffy little piece I've been working on. Since the show has been increasing its drama and suspense, I figure that nice story containing the Mystery Trio as well as Dipper and Mabel as toddlers would ease some of the tension.

_Thursday December 6th, 2002_

On the suburban streets of Piedmont California, a blue minivan was speeding down the winding concrete roads. Three middle-aged men, all of them close to fifty, were traveling in the vehicle.

"Don't go over the speed limit Stanley!" Stanford Pines scolded his twin brother from the passenger seat. Fiddleford McGucket was settled in the back, rubbing his temples as he was prepared to listen to yet another petty argument from the twins. "You don't want the cops to come chase us, do you?"

"I can't help it Ford!" Stan snapped. "I've been looking forward to this day for a long time now and I'm not letting some lousy speed limit signs separate me from my grand-kids!"

About a couple weeks ago, Stanley received a call from his daughter-in-law Sandra Pines, who needed him and his twin brother to watch Dipper and Mabel, her three-year-old twins, while she was out of town with some friends. Her husband was already out on a business trip in Florida for his computer company, so she needed someone to watch her kids while they were out for the weekend. Stanley was quite ecstatic to hear the news and immediately accepted her offer. He only asked that his good friend/co-worker Fiddleford also assist. Stan insisted that McGucket was more qualified to supervise the toddlers since he was a wonderful father to his son, Tate, and knew more about childcare than Stan and Ford ever could. Mrs. Pines did not object to Stan's condition since she was already acquainted with Fiddleford after a few family gatherings. He, Ford, and Fiddleford also needed a break from their investigations into the supernatural phenomena within the sleepy community of Gravity Falls, so they figured that a weekend trip to watch over the little twins would do them some good. The drive down from Gravity Falls, Oregon to Piedmont, California was long and grueling, but for Stanley Pines, it was well worth it.

When they reached the right address, the minivan pulled up to the driveway next to a light red station wagon, which was Sandra's car. Stanley looked at the clock on the car radio. 12:15 PM, it read. " _Right on time."_ He thought.

The three wayworn men got out to their vehicle, stretching their aching bodies after several hours of sitting in the car. They soon grabbed their luggage with them and walked over towards the front door. Stan was just about to ring the doorbell, but Sandra already opened the door for them. She was a rather slender young woman with long wavy brown hair, wearing a purple sweater, jeans, and boots.

"Hey Sandy, how's it goin'?" Stanley joyfully asked as he embraced his daughter-in-law, who was rather surprised by his action.  

"I'm doing quite alright Stan." She responded, releasing herself from her father-in-law's affectionate hug. "But please, come inside and settle your things down. I'll go grab the twins for you."

As the three men lugged their belongings inside the house, Mrs. Pines walked over to the playroom to retrieve her kids.

"Dipper, Mabel, Grandpa Stan and the Grunkles are here!" Mrs. Pines told her children. She then walked over towards where the other adults were standing.

Two tiny children, dressed in long-sleeve flannel shirts and blue overalls dashed into the living room upon hearing their mother's request. When Stanley saw his grandchildren, he was awe-struck by how much they have grown since he last saw them. Both Dipper and Mabel had short, curly brown hair, small noses, and wide brown eyes that stared at the three old relatives.

"Kids!" Stanley exclaimed as he welcomed the small twins with open arms. The young twins jumped to their grandfather, to which he gave a surprised _oof_ as he was tackled to the ground and smothered by his grandchildren's affection. Stanford and Fiddleford sweetly smiled as they looked down at the tender reunion, their hearts melted by the cuteness of the small twins toppling Stanley.

"Sweet Moses, you two have gotten bigger!" The old man commented after giving them each a big peck on the cheek. The twins giggled at their grandfather's response. 

"So how old are you kids?" Stan asked casually.

"Three!" Dipper and Mabel responded, holding out three fingers.

"Man you two are getting old real quick!" He joked, ruffling the curly brown hair on top of their heads.

"So Stan, I just have to lay a few ground rules before I take off." She stated, grabbing the attention of the three men. Stanley got himself up from the floor, but picked up the twins, cradling them in each arm.

"You and Ford can sleep in my room upstairs, which is next to the twins' room. So if the kids need anything, you two would be close by. Fiddleford, the couch in the living room is a pull-out bed, so you're able to sleep there." She pointed to the pink sofa by the stairwell. "I have a list of foods that the kids can eat during breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also have the directions to the grocery store in case you get low on sustenance."

She then guided the three men towards the playroom, which was littered with stuffed animals as well as two shelves that contained picture books and VHS tapes. "Entertaining the kids is fairly easy. Usually they would like to read or watch a movie during the day. If you need to use the car, please take the kids with you. I put the twins’ car seats near the living room window. Oh, and make sure that they brush their teeth and that you read to them before tucking them in, okay?"

The middle-aged men responded with "gotcha"s and "yes m'am"s.

"I also left my cell phone number on a sticky note on the kitchen table, so if anything were to happen, don't hesitate to give me a ring. But gotta going now to pick up my girlfriends before we head off to Colorado for the weekend." Sandra gently gathered her kids from Stan’s hold and gave them a hug and kiss.

"Dipper, Mabel, please be good to your Grandpa and Grunkles for mommy, alright?" Dipper and Mabel nodded to their mom. Smiling at her two kids, she gave them each a kiss and carefully placed them on the carpeted floor. She then walked over to grab her suitcase and started to make her way out the door.

"Love you kids! I'll call you when I get there!" She called out.

"Bye mommy!" Dipper and Mabel waved.

"Have fun in Colorado Sandy!" Stan said.

"Good bye!" Stanford stated.

"We'll take good care of the kids." Fiddleford reminded.

As soon as Mrs. Pines left, the trio gave a sigh of relief. The men looked down at Dipper and Mabel, who were still fixated at their babysitters. Fiddleford was the first to speak up.

"I'll bring up our things upstairs in the bedroom." He said as he gathered the bags.

"You sure nerd?" Stan asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," The southerner reassured. "Plus you can't carry a thing seeing how the kids are practically glued ta ya!"

Stanley looked down to see Dipper and Mabel latching onto his skinny legs. He was about to make a witty rebuttal, but Fiddleford was already halfway up the stairs. Stanford was busily looking at the many family photographs that were hung on the wall; There were several image of little of Dipper and Mabel, such as a professionally done picture, the two of them at the beach, dressed up as kittens for Halloween, their trip to the petting zoo, and one during Christmas time.  

"Aw come on kids, I may love being the center of attention, but you can't just give all the love to me." He told his grandkids as he picked them up and gently placed them on the couch. "You gotta give some love to your Grunkle Ford over there!" He pointed out to his brother.

Listening to his grandfather's wise words, Dipper jumped from the couch and approached Stanford, who was still thoroughly inspecting the multitude of endearing photographs of the young twins. Dipper decided to get his Grunkle's attention by pulling on his pant leg. When the six-fingered man realized the tugging sensation coming from his left leg, he looked down to see his eager grandnephew. The small boy looked up with curious eyes and a wide smile on his face.

"Hi Grunkle Ford!" He said happily. Hearing that sweet voice say his name, Ford felt his heart gush from the boy’s cuteness. He knelt down on the floor to talk to the boy at eye level.

"Well, hello Dipper!" He greeted, extending his hand out to his grand-nephew.

Dipper took his Grunkle's hand and studied it, immediately noting the extra finger. Ford expected his great-nephew to be frightened or disgusted by his deformity. However, the inquisitive boy continued to silently inspect the hand, and the older man realized how Dipper was just as curious and investigative as he was during his youth. Dipper then pressed his tiny hand onto his great uncle's large one. The small boy looked up to Ford and gave him the biggest smile he could. The man returned a smile back at the boy.

But suddenly, Dipper looked down on the floor nervously, as if he was pondering over something serious. Ford was about to ask if he was feeling alright, but the three-year-old faced his elder relative with determination.

"Grunkle Ford, I wanna show you something important, but don't laugh!"

"I won't." Ford affirmed.

Dipper lifted up the curly hair that shielded his forehead to reveal a birthmark that resembled the Big Dipper. Ford was astonished at first by the boy’s benign irregularity, but was soon overcome with fascination. He looked at the boy's forehead with great interest before he carefully placed his finger on the boy's forehead, softly tracing the constellation-shaped birthmark. Stanford smiled tearfully at Dipper. It was very reassuring to know that Dipper had his own bodily flaw and the six-fingered man would be very supportive to the boy, but was also afraid for him. It would be inevitable that the boy’s peers would ostracize him because of his unique mark. So Stanford needed Dipper to know how important he really was to him and that his birthmark was a blessing instead of a curse.

"I'm really glad you showed your birthmark to me Dipper." Stanford began, softly tucking his great grand-nephew's curls behind his ear. Dipper listened carefully to what his great uncle had to say.

"That symbol on your forehead is not a sign of abnormality, but rather, a gift. A gift that only someone as special as you are can receive. This gift will allow you to open your eyes to the world and what it has to offer. However, there are people in this world who may try to belittle you or bring you down because of who you are. Never let anyone tell you that you're strange or a freak because you're not. Dipper, you are a very special, and wonderful person who’s bound to do great things in this world. And if you need someone to help you along the way, you can always come to me. And I can definitely tell you now that amazing gifts do indeed run in the family." He gave his grand nephew a sly smile as he wriggled the fingers on his right hand to emphasize his point.

A smile tugged on Dipper's face, and the small boy gave Ford a tight hug. The six-fingered man returned the gesture, gently rubbing the boy's back. Ford looked over to his side, only to see Stanley giving him a soft smile.

As Dipper and Ford were bonding, Mabel  promptly approached Fiddleford, who was trotting down the stairs.

"Are you our Grunkle too?" Mabel asked with great enthusiasm.

"Well, I'm not technically related to Stan and Ford." The southerner began to explain to the young girl. "You see, I'm actually their longtime friend, and-"

"Well of course he's your Grunkle!" Stan interrupted, placing an arm around Fiddleford's shoulder. "Mabel sweetie, our friend Fidds here may not be related by blood, but he's been by our side for so many years, so he’s definitely considered family!"

A wide, excited smile was plastered on the girl’s face. "Can we call you Grunkle Fidds? _Please_?"

"Why of course you can darlin'!" Fiddleford approved without hesitation. He picked her up from the ground and proceeded to lift her up high and twirl her around. Mabel giggled joyfully as she was up in the air. When the southerner gently placed Mabel back on the carpeted floor, the small girl tugged at Stan and Fiddleford's hands.

"Come on, I wanna show you somethin'!" She commanded as she led the two over towards where Ford and Dipper were.

"What an energetic little thing she is." Fiddleford told Stanley as they were being dragged by the tenacious three-year-old.

"Well you better get used to it Fidds cause she loves you already! Also, once she has you in her hold she’s never letting go." Stan remarked.

When Mabel approached her brother she managed to get his attention by tapping on his shoulder.

"Hey Dipper, should we show them the play room?"

"Yeah!" Dipper nodded. The little boy got up and tugged at Ford's arm, prompting the great uncle to stand up and follow wherever the small child was taking him.

It was a matter of seconds before the tiny twins opened up the door to the playroom and accompanied the three men inside. Mabel immediately ran over to pick up the stuffed animals that were scattered on the floor. Once she had picked up as many plush toys as her little arms would allow her to carry and gave them to her Grandpa and Grunkles. Meanwhile, Dipper grabbed a box filled with wooden building blocks and carried it over to where the group was.

“Oh, Dipper!” Mabel called out to her brother. “Yeah?” He replied, dropping his box of blocks.

“You should do the _Lamby Lamby Dance_ for Grandpa Stan and the Grunkles since you’re so good at it!”

"The  _Lamby Lamby Dance?"_ Stan questioned, raising an eyebrow out of confusion. Ford and Fiddleford were equally in the dark as to what was going on. 

"Yeah, it's a neat little song and dance that Dipper can do!" Mabel answered enthusiastically. 

Dipper looked quite apprehensive towards his sister’s suggestion. “I don’t know.......you really think I should do it?”

“They’ll love it!” She encouraged as she lightly patted her brother on the shoulder. 

“Okay. But only if I get to play with my blocks afterwards.” The small boy insisted. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he was able to play with his toys. With a look of determination on his face, he approached the three relatives and stood in place. Taking a deep breath, Dipper started his dance routine as he sang:

                                                                                       _Well... who wants a lamby, lamby, lamby?_

_I do! I do!_

_So, go up and greet your mammy, mammy, mammy_

_Hi there! Hi there!_

_So march, march, march around the daisies,_

_Don't, don't, don't you forget about the ba-by!_

Dipper ended his song with a dramatic kneel and a charming wink towards his relatives. When the song was finished, Stan, Ford, and Fiddleford applauded. Dipper gave a sigh of relief since his performance was well-received. The boy returned to his box of blocks and proceeded to dump the wooden shapes onto the floor.

Mabel decided to have a tea party with Ford, bringing him to the pink table where her other stuffed animals were sitting. As this was going on, Dipper began to construct something out of his wooden blocks. Stanley and Fiddleford couldn’t help but notice the small boy playing with the shapes with such attentiveness and concentration. 

Stan decided to ask his grandson what he was up to. “So Dipper, whatcha buildin’ there?”

“Just a castle.” He replied.

“Would it be alright if we helped you out?" Fiddleford asked. "I mean, if you don’t mind of course.”

“Okay!” Dipper answered happily. Soon they were busily organizing the blocks and stacking them neatly on top of each other. As Stan and Fiddleford helped Dipper with the castle, Ford was having a grand old time bonding with Mabel over imaginary tea.

"Here you are!" Mabel said, pouring "tea" into Ford's tiny pink plastic cup. 

"Why thank you Mabel." Ford responded, lightly patting her on the head. As he moved his hand back, Mabel noted the extra finger on her grand-uncle's hand.

"You have six fingers?" She noted, taking the hand for further inspection. Ford was worried about how she might react. But fortunately, Mabel still had a smile of fascination and intrigue on her face as she looked at his hand.

"That's so cool!" She exclaimed, looking at her grand-uncle's hand with curiosity and fascination.

As Mabel inspected the hand, a sudden realization hit Stanford Pines. Throughout his life, many of his peers and colleagues saw his six-fingered hands as either an object of ridicule or a deformity that triggered disgust. Even though he received endless love and support from Stan (and, eventually, Fiddleford), Ford still felt socially isolated. He had to accept this harsh fact from a young age and it caused him to distance himself from other people. But in one day, Dipper and Mabel, two impressionable young children, saw his abnormal hands and did not show a trace of fear. Instead, they expressed intrigue and interest in his hands and thought no ill of him for having such unusual features. After years of ridicule and rejection for his physical anomalies, the young twins welcomed him without hesitation and accepted him for who he was. Truly it was the loving nature of his grand-niece and grand-nephew that renewed his faith in humanity. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice a teardrop escape his eye.

"Grunkle Ford, are you okay?" Mabel asked worriedly. At this point, Ford couldn't help but pull the little girl into a tight hug. His action caught the attention of Stan, Fiddleford, and Dipper. 

"Yes dear." The six-fingered man replied. Dipper moved from the castle and joined Mabel and Grunkle Ford. The twins were immediately wrapped up in another hug. "Thank you kids..." 

Stan and Fiddleford observed Ford and the kids in peaceful silence. 

.....................

The remainder of the afternoon was spent watching a double-feature of   _The Great Mouse Detective_ and _Beauty and the Beast_ (as chosen by the young twins). Dipper and Mabel were interested in the the story of anthropomorphic mice solving mysteries as well as a fantastical fairy tale with supernatural elements. Stanley ordered pizza for dinner as he, Ford and Fiddleford were too invested with Dipper and Mabel to whip up something in the kitchen. It was about 7:30 when Stan decided that the kids should turn in for the night.

"Alright kiddos, I believe it's time for you two to hit the hay." Stan commanded.

"No!" The twins shot back.

"No, whaddya mean 'no'?" Stanley questioned, placing his hands on his hips.

"No beddie-byes!" Dipper answered.

" **No beddie-byes! No beddie-byes!** " Mabel chanted. Dipper soon joined her sister, protesting against Stanley's demands. " **No beddie-byes! No beddie-byes!** "

"Yes beddie-byes!" Ford interjected, raising a hand to silence the overly-active twins. "If you kids don't get some sleep, you'll be very grumpy in the morning. Trust me."

"But we wanna story!" Dipper pleaded.

"And a song!" Mabel added.

At this point, the three men looked at each other and decided to give in to the twins' wishes. If acting on the whims of those rambunctious kids can get them to bed, then they would do it without hesitation.

"Alright, we can give ya squirts a story and a song. Then you two have to go to sleep." Stanley confirmed.

"Yaaaaaay!!!!!" The young twins cheered as they ran towards the play room.

"Wait up for us!" Stan hollered as he and Ford followed the energetic youngsters. Fiddleford grabbed his banjo that was placed by the couch trailed behind the Pines family.

"Alright, what would you like us to read?" Ford asked.

Dipper and Mabel looked at the small bookshelf and agreed on which one to pick out. Dipper pulled out one of the titles and showed the old trio. Stan gently took the book from the small boy.

" _Green Eggs and Ham_ huh?" He muttered to himself. Lifting his head, he addressed to the kids: "Alright, if you two put your PJs on and brush your teeth, we’ll read the story."

“Okay!” The twins responded eagerly, rushing up the stairs to prepare themselves for story time.

It took about ten minutes for Stan to help the kids change into their pajamas and help them improve their dental hygiene before he could make his end of the deal. Once they returned to the bedroom, the twins settled themselves into bed, Stan, Ford and Fiddleford grabbed the three small stools that were in the bedroom and placed them in between the two beds.

“Alright, _Green Eggs and Ham_ , here we go.” Stanford said as he opened up the book.

“ _I am Sam_ ” Stanford read. “ _Sam I am_ ”

“ **That Sam-I-am, That Sam-I-am! I do not like that Sam-I-am!** " Stanley interrupted, using a grouchy tone of voice to match the character on the page. His vocal emphasis elicited laughter from the twins.  

“ _Do you like green eggs and ham_ ” Ford asked politely while staying in character.

Stan responded loudly, “ **I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham.** ” Stan and Ford entertained the kids with their over-the-top character voices throughout the rest of the story.

"So the moral of the tale is to always open minded and to try new things! If it’s safe enough, of course." Ford concluded.

"Now give us a song!" Mabel demanded. 

"Fortunately for you two, I brought along my banjo!" Fiddleford told the young twins, happily strumming the strings on his beloved instrument to emphasize his claim.

"When it come to southern stereotypes, you certainly fit the bill, don't ya Fidds?" Stanley teased.

"Now Stan, didn't your parents raise you to be polite to others?" Fiddleford asked in playful banter.

"Not really." Stan answered curtly.

"Okay kids," Ford turned to the young twins, putting an end to Stan and Fiddleford's conversation. "So what song would you like to hear?"

"Disco Girl!" Dipper answered with a smile.

"Yeah, play Disco Girl!" Mabel chimed in.

"I don't know," Stan said doubtfully, "aren't you kids a little too young to know that kind of music?"

"Nope. We know that song" Mabel answered.

"Yeah, Dad plays it all the time in the car." Dipper informed.

"I should have known that my own son listens to European Pop music." Stanley said flatly. Dipper and Mabel giggled at their grandpa's remark. 

"Come on Stan, you know the words to it." Ford told his brother in an encouraging tone. "We can even sing it in three-part harmony!"

"Plus, I'm able to play every song on _BABBA_ 's catalog." Fiddleford added. "There's no escapin' outta this one Stanley."

Stan rubbed the temples of his forehead as he sighed. He really didn't want to sing some sappy pop song, there was no way he'd stoop that low. But he looked up at his eager grandchildren, who stared back at the middle-aged man with pleading eyes. As prideful and egotistical as Stanley Pines was, he cared more about the happiness of his grand-kids.

"Okay nerds, settle down." Stan said. "Let's just do this for the kids." The three sat down on small stools in between the two beds.

"Ready fellas?" Fiddleford asked. Stan and Ford nodded. The southern man began to count off "A-one, and-a-two, and-a-three, and-a-four."

As soon as Fiddleford began to play the song's opening, the kids' faces lit up in joy. Then the three men belted the Icelandic song in three-part harmony:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                  _She can shake, she can groove, that girl sure knows how to move_

_Disco girl, coming through, that girl is you!_

_Night arrives and it starts to snow_

_Find the right club she can go_

_Pumping out the cool music, where the feeling's right_

_Now she glides to the floor_

_Everyone now looks around_

_To see the best dancer in town_

_Swinging to the funk music, everything's alright_

_She's got the skills for dance_

_and she wears leather pants...._

_You are the disco girl, with nice curls, you'll rule the world_

_Disco girl, steps in place when you hear that bass (oh yeah)!_

_She can shake, she can groove, _that girl sure knows how to move__

_Disco girl, coming through, that girl is you!_

_Ooh ooh!  Ooh ooh!_

_You're the one the guys can't ignore,_

_but you shove 'em right out the door._

_It's fine now that you're single, with the skills that kill_

_You get to do your dance_

_and she wears leather pants...._

_You are the Disco girl, with nice curls, you'll rule the world_

_Disco girl, steps in place when you hear that bass (oh yeah)!_

_She can shake, she can groove, t _ _hat girl sure knows how to move___

_Disco girl, coming through, that girl is you!_

_Ooh ooh!  Ooh ooh!_

Once the song was complete, Dipper and Mabel applauded. The three men instinctively stood up and gave a dramatic bow, causing the young twins to clap even more.

"That was amazing!" Dipper remarked.

"Yeah, thank you for singing to us!" Mabel said joyfully.

"Well of course, we'd do anything for you kids." Stanley affirmed. “We fulfilled our part, now it’s time for you kiddos to commit to your end of the deal.” He tucked Mabel into bed and gave her a swift peck on her cheek. He then performed the same action for Dipper, pulling the covers over the boy and giving a light kiss on his cheek. Ford and Fiddleford also gave the twins a quick goodnight kiss on their foreheads before turning off the light.

“Good night kids!” Stanley stated.

“Love you!” Dipper and Mabel called out.

Stanley, Stanford, and Fiddleford were touched to hear that coming from the young twins. They smiled sweetly at Dipper and Mabel as Stan returned, ”We love you too, kids.”

After leaving the kids’ room, Ford retreated to the pull-out bed in the living room to read and conduct his own research, allowing Stanley and Fiddleford to share the king bed in the parent's room. The three men already made a pact not to tell the Mrs. of their sleeping arrangements before their trip since she was unaware of Stan and Fidds's relationship and they wanted to keep it that way, at least for a little while longer.

The couple were nicely settled in the bedroom, sharing a rather comfortable mattress as well as well as having access to the TV. Stanley was dressed in his wife-beater and blue striped boxers and Fiddleford was wearing red and black flannel pajamas. The two of them were watching _The Planet People of Planet Planet!_ , making fun of the film’s poor production value and hokey acting. During the commercial break, Stanley scooched closer to Fiddleford and proceeded to wrap his arms around the southern gentleman.

"You know, you really are one hell of a singer Fidds." Stan complimented as he leaned over towards the southern man and gave him a light peck on the cheek.

"Thanks Stan." Fiddleford returned as he immersed himself in his lover's embrace. "I'm just glad that things went really well today.”

McGucket decided to one-up Stan by leaning in and giving his lover a tender kiss. After their lips had parted, Fiddleford continued to speak. “I gotta tell ya though, watching over the twins made me very nostalgic from my first few years of fatherhood, back when Tate was little. And you should consider yourself lucky for being a grandparent to two wonderful, precious little kids."

"Well of course Dipper and Mabel are great, they have my genes!" Stan exclaimed humorously. He then heaved a solemn sigh before continuing. "But in all seriousness though, I really want to make sure that this weekend with them will be fantastic! And seeing how today went extremely well, I want to be there for them, and see them grow up y'know? I don't want to make the same mistake of having limited time for bonding, like I did with my own son after Carla and I broke up. I just wanna be a positive figure for my grandkids, someone who will always be there for them through good times and bad."

"I understand that sentiment all too well Stan. But I'm sure you know that these kids will grow up quick." Fiddleford reminded. "One day they're small little things, then the next day they'll be heading out on their own. Cherish everyday with 'em Stanley. Tell those two how important they are and make the extra effort to ensure that you will be a positive influence in their lives."

"I will." He solemnly affirmed, squeezing the southerner's hand to emphasize his devotion. "Thanks for the advice Fidds..."

"Your welcome Stanley." Fiddleford replied softly. Stanley reached for the remote and turned off the television, engulfing the room in darkness. Within minutes, the two drifted off to sleep in each other's hold.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Stan woke the twins up from bed and led them towards the kitchen. Once the kids settled themselves in their seats, they were given breakfast, which consisted of ‘Stan-Cakes’, ‘Ford Toast’, and eggs ‘Fiddle-side-up’. The young twins contentedly ate their meal along with the old trio. They gave their grandpa a thumbs up for his cooking. After having their fill, they went upstairs to dress up for the day. Soon afterwards, Stan brought the kids out to the living room to play  _Don't Wake Stalin_ , one of his personal favorite board games. Fiddleford was busy working on his latest invention as Ford went into the kitchen in search for a small snack. He was rummaging through the fridge and cabinets for anything he could munch on, but was distraught to see the kitchen nearly low on food. there was only so much food left in the fridge and kitchen cabinets to make through the weekend. Fiddleford suggested that they run to the grocery store to stock up on sustenance.

So the three prepared the car-seats and buckled the twins in before heading off to the store. Stan decided to sit in the back with Dipper and Mabel. Fiddleford took the driver's seat with Ford acting as navigator in the passenger seat. Fiddleford was surfing through the radio stations to find appropriate driving music. He gave out a shrill of joy when he heard the starting verse of N*SYNC's "Bye Bye Bye".

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!!" The southerner squealed, turning up the volume with glee. "I love this song!!!!!" Dipper and Mabel grinned at each other upon recognizing the song and started to sing along with Fiddleford. Stanley was surprised with the twin's excited behavior, turning his head to each twin out of confusion. Ford was equally bewildered by spontaneous act brought upon by McGucket, so much so that he turned around to give his brother a puzzled expression on his face. After the song was over, Ford immediately turned off the radio. Although the kids were distraught, they wanted to know more about Fiddleford's musical taste.

"You like N*SYNC Grunkle Fidds?" Mabel asked.

"Like 'em? Why, I love N*SYNC!" He answered in a jovial tone of voice. "Their music is so energetic and passionate that I can't help but get revved up by it!" 

"Yeah, their songs are really great." Dipper added. 

"And the boys are so dreamy!" Mabel sighed blissfully. Dipper stuck out his tongue, as if he was throwing up, and made hacking sounds to emphasize his disgust towards the thought of Mabel dating the members of the boy-band. His sister simply giggled at her brother's reaction. Upon seeing how he made her laugh, he couldn't help but laugh himself. 

"Well, we're just about here." Ford announced as the minivan approached the parking lot. It took the family about five minutes to find a spot due to how crowded it was, but they managed to score a decent parking space not too far from the store's entrance. Stan managed to release the young twins from their car seats with relative ease as Fiddleford locked the car. As the group strolled through the parking lot, they expected the inside of the supermarket to be as packed and chaotic as the parking lot. 

"Alright comrades." Stanford began. "There's a good chance that the store will be crowded, so we will have to the 'divide and conquer' approach if we want to get out of there quicker. Stan, you and Dipper will go to the produce section and grab all of the essential fruits and vegetables." He ordered, giving his twin brother a list. He also grabbed another piece of paper from his coat pocket and handed it to the southerner. "Fiddleford, I need you to grab the following meats at the deli department as well as the things listed in the dairy aisle. I'll take Mabel to grab the other essentials. Once we retrieve our specified items, let's all meet up near the cash registers. That way, we don't have to waste time looking for each other all over the store." 

As soon as they set foot in the store, their plan was set into motion. Stan and Ford each pulled out a cart, putting Dipper and Mabel into the carriage seat while Fiddleford took a shopping basket. McGucket sprinted through the store in search for the deli department. Upon arriving at his destination, he noted the crowded mess near the counter. The now annoyed engineer grabbed a ticket from the red dispenser, checked the number on the small piece of paper and glanced up at the digital service screen. "This is gonna take a while..." He thought.

Stan and Dipper scouted throughout the produce section and grabbed all of the listed foods without hesitation. Meanwhile, Ford was zig-zagging throughout the aisles to search for snacks and other commodities. As the Grunkle quickly shifted the shopping cart, Mabel was giggling joyfully while riding in the carriage seat. Finishing up early, Ford directed the cart towards the desired meeting spot and waited for everyone else to arrive. Stan and Fiddleford arrived within five minutes and the group waited in line. It took them another ten minutes to get their items checked out and paid for. Stan was tempted to use 'Stan-Bucks' if the cost exceeded their budget, but the cost was well under their grocery money limit. 

"I get shotgun!" Stan called out as he put Mabel into her car seat. Ford placed Dipper into the car seat before taking his turn in the driver's seat. After closing the trunk door, Fiddleford settled himself in between the young twins in the back while Stan and Ford seated themselves in the front. It was moments later when the car was turned on and took off from the parking lot. 

..............................................................................................

Later that evening, Fiddleford served dinner for the family, which consisted of Meatloaf, corn, and mashed potatoes. After finishing up their meals, Stan decided to give Dipper and Mabel a bath before having them change into their PJs. Meanwhile, Ford and Fiddleford were on the couch watching  _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ , since it was playing on one of the television channels and it hearkened to their supernatural research back in Gravity Falls. Fiddleford was casually strumming on his banjo as the two conversed. 

"Hey Ford," Fiddleford said. "remember when you, me, and Stan first saw this film in the theaters, way back in 1984?"

"Ugh, don't remind me....." Ford sighed at the unpleasant memory. 

"You didn't bother sleeping for two days straight after watchin' it." The engineer reminisced. "I was quite concerned for your well-bein', but Stan was having a ball tryin' to scare you every chance he had."

"Stan had a little _too_ much fun with that if you ask me." Ford remarked. "Also, is it just me or does that Freddy Kruger character remind you of the Dream Hipster we came across way back when?"

"Now that ya mention it, I can see the similarities." McGucket squinted at the television screen and adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "But Ford, I gotta ask ya, what exactly is a 'hipster'? I mean, does it have anything to do with trying to be cool and 'hip' in that regard, or does it involve our actual hips" Fiddleford stood up and gestured with his body.

"Well Fiddleford, there's a perfectly logical explanation to your inquiry..." As Ford was about to describe the pretentious subculture, Stan slowly and silently crept down the carpet stairs. Peeking from behind the railing, he waited for the precise moment to scare them out of their wits. Stan gave a loud and sudden " _BOO!"_  , causing Ford and Fiddleford to yelp and jump from their seats. They turned around to find Stan was laughing like a hyena, clutching his gut and gasping for air. The two also heard the giggles from Dipper and Mabel, who were apparently apart of the childish prank. Ford and Fiddleford turned around to find the source of the scare. Upon realizing that Stanley was the one behind this, Fiddleford simply chuckled, not surprised at all. Ford, however, frowned at his twin brother.

"Really Stan?!?" Ford yelled at an aggravated tone of voice.

"I guess some people never truly change." Fiddleford said, shaking his head at his boyfriend's antics. 

After finally pulling himself together, Stan explained his reason for frightening the two men."I figured that I give you all a harmless little scare while you two were distracted. And the kids were in on it too, so it's all in good fun. So no hard feelings, right Sixer?" 

Ford realized that his brother, though hard to deal with at times, held no malice in his actions and wanted to show the kids a good time. Despite his uptight nature, the paranormal investigator needed moments like this from his twin brother as a reminder to loosen up and to not take things too seriously.

"None whatsoever." Ford replied, giving Stan a tired smile. 

Little Dipper and Mabel trotted down the stairs to get closer to their Grunkles. Upon realizing that the slasher flick was still on, Ford and Fiddleford exchanged worried glanced before the southerner immediately grabbed the remote and turned off the television. He gave a sigh of relief, knowing that he prevented the twins from having traumatic nightmares of fedora-wearing dream demons.

"Alright, let's get you kids ready for bed." Ford said as he picked up Dipper and Mabel before ascending the stairs.

Putting the kids to bed the second night seemed to go off without a hitch. The three men and the young twins read _Corduroy_ for their bedtime story. That evening's song of choice was a bluegrass rendition of "Bye, Bye, Bye" with Fiddleford providing musical accompaniment on the banjo as well as his vocal solo. After tucking the twins in and exiting the bedroom, Ford went straight to sleep on the pullout couch while Stan and Fiddleford retreated to the parents' room. Inside the bedroom, Fiddleford was captivated with his book, _A Time to Kill_ , burying his face into the pages of the novel. Right next to him, a dissatisfied Stan was channel surfing, making a vain attempt to find something serviceable to watch before hitting the hay.

"99 channels and they don't even have HBO!" He complained. "So much for watching _The Sopranos_." He turned off the television with a frustrated click on the remote. Fiddleford shut his book and placed it on top of the nightstand. He turned over to Fiddleford, who closed his paperback book, in the hopes to engage in some small talk before sleeping. 

"How's the book?" He asked.

"It's quite interestin'," Fiddleford replied as he lied back down on the mattress. "it's a real page-turner if I do say so myself."

"That's good to hear." Stan noted as he reached out for the lamp on the nightstand and turned off the light. Settling himself back on the bed, he pulled Fiddleford close to his chest, which made the thinner man smile contentedly. 

"You never fail to make me smile Stanley." The southern man said softly. "I love you."

"Love you too Fiddleford."

As they were about to fall asleep, flashes of lightning illuminated the room. Not long afterwards, they heard the roar of crashing thunder that echoed from outside. Loud cries were also heard from down the hall, a sound that Stan never wanted to hear. He and Fiddleford jolted straight out of bed and rushed out of the room, sprinting through the hallway towards the kids' room. Loud footsteps were ascending the stairs as Ford decided to investigate the source of the cries. Stanley opened the door to the twins' room and turned on the lights. The three saw Dipper and Mabel clinging onto each other.

"Kids, are you okay?" Stan asked in concern as he approached his grandchildren and knelt down to them at eye level. 

"We can't sleep!" Dipper answered tearfully.

"It's s-so loud!" Mabel covered her ears. The thunder continued to rumble from outside, causing the kids to tighten their hold on each other. 

"Come 'ere kids." Stanley sat on the mattress and brought the twins to a gentle bear hug. The twins did not hesitate to embrace their grandfather, engulfing themselves in his care and comfort. 

"Hey now, it's perfectly okay to be afraid of thunder and lightening." Ford soothed. "But you two are perfectly safe inside the house and so long as you're both indoors, the outside elements aren't going to harm you kids."

"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend going to play golf during storm like this." Stan joked.

"Why not?" Dipper asked.

"Cause the golf clubs are made of metal, and metal attracts lightning. So if you make the dumb decision of golfing during a storm," Stan stood up and prepared to swing his imaginary golf club, "you'll get struck and electrocuted, like this!" He then started to shake his body around and scream, as if he were hit by lightning. The twins giggled at their grandpa's reenactment. 

"But I know that you two cuties are smarter than that!" Stanley confirmed.

"But what about the thunder?" Mabel inquired. Stan and Ford looked at each other in order to come up with a sound explanation. But fortunately for them, McGucket has got it covered.

"If you wanna get technical, the thunder is caused by the lightening." He grabbed the whiteboard easel and a marker in order to fully illustrate his point. After a few seconds of drawing, he presented the picture of lightening and the surrounding scribbles that graced the board. "Ya see, the increase in pressure and temperature causes the lightening to produce rapid expansion of air, which in turn creates a sonic shock wave, causing the sound of thunder." 

The twins were fully engaged in their quick meteorology lesson, connecting McGucket's teaching with the drawing on the whiteboard. 

"But it helps, just think of the sound of thunder as the angels bowling up in Heaven." Fiddleford offered. 

"Ok, so the thunder comes straight from the lightening?" Dipper questioned. Fiddleford nodded in affirmation.

"And so long as we're inside, we'll be ok!" Mabel exclaimed, smiling at her brother.

"See, don’t you kids feel better about it now?" Fiddleford asked. The young twins nodded their heads and smiled. The three men felt very relieved that the kids have calmed down. 

"Now that your fears are alleviated, we’re gonna go back to bed, so sleep well kids." Stan said as he was about to exit the room.

"Wait!" The twins cried out in unison.

"Can we sleep with you Grandpa Stan?" Mabel requested nervously.

"Please? I'm still a bit scared." Dipper added.

Stanley and Fiddleford looked at each other and down at the pleading twins. "Well of course!" Stanley approved. The twins soon jumped out of bed and gathered their stuffed animals. Mabel grabbed her plush pig that was on her bed and Dipper retrieved his lamb toy before approaching their caretakers. Stan bent down and picked up the anxious twins into his nurturing arms.

"Now let's get some much needed shut-eye." Fiddleford stated as he followed Stan and the kids. 

"Well goodnight everyone." Ford said as he made his way downstairs. 

"Good night Grunkle Ford!" Dipper and Mabel called out. 

Stan carried the twins into the bedroom and placed them onto the king-sized mattress. Fiddleford was not far behind as he closed the door to the bedroom and walked towards the bed. The twins settled themselves in between their grandfather and the southerner. 

"Is everyone comfortable?" Stan questioned with a yawn.

"Yeah." Dipper and Mabel answered as they snuggled underneath the covers. 

"Well good night kids." Fiddleford said before turning off the light from the lamp.

"Sleep well kids." Stan added.

Dipper and Mabel felt safe within the protection of their Grandpa and Grunkle despite the ongoing thunder and lightening from outside. Stan put Mabel in a gentle hold, his strong right arm wrapped around her. Dipper also felt relieved by Fiddleford, whose presence served as a cushioned shield between the boy and the edge of the bed. This made it easier for the young twins to drift off to a sound sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> *The original version of Disco Girl, "Disco girl Coming through That girl is you OOH OOOH, OOH OOOH" belongs to Matt Breeck and Alex Hirsch.


End file.
